ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: staff · clip · mate · bound · charge · pass · chest · drill

  1. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. clip — a video
  2. charge — electricity
  3. chest — a box
  4. bound — certain
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. chest — of your body
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. staff — employees
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. mate — a partner
  12. bound — tied together
  13. chest — of your body
  14. charge — a price
  15. bound — obliged
  16. clip — for paper
  17. clip — to cut
  18. staff — a stick
  19. staff — employees
  20. mate — to breed
  21. charge — in control
  22. drill — army training
  23. pass — a permit
  24. mate — a friend

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com